New Photonic Material from Genetically Engineered Bacteriorhodopsin. There exists a need for photonic materials that have superior photochromic, photovoltaic, or nonlinear optical (NLO) characteristics. This research will develop a new family of materials based on the protein bacteriorhodopsin (BR), a unique biological material which has promising photochromic, photooltaic, and nonlinear optical properties needed for device application (e.g. holographic recording films, associative holographic memories, spatial light modulators, etc.). To fully realize the potential of devices based on BR one must produce mutant BRs at a scale suitable for rapid analysis and fabrication and be able to screen these mutant Brs rapidly for important photochromic properties (second harmonic generation). Mutants construction from the gene coding for BR (bop) will use an expression system which has recently been developed. In this system mutant BR's are synthesized in their natural host and not in E. coli as is currently the custom. This method allows the rapid and facile production of large quantities of mutant proteins derived by site-directed mutagenesis. The photochromic properties, the photovoltaic properties, and the nonlinear optical properties of the BR variants will be assessed. This effort involves the close collaboration of investigators with expertise in three different areas: genetics (Richard Needleman). photochemistry (Janos Lanyi) and physics (George Rayfield). A strong industrial collaboration (Bend Research Inc, Bend Oregon) is also part of this program. %%% There exists a need for materials that have superior responses to light than man-made products currently in existence. This research will develop a new family of materials based on the protein bacteriorhodopsin (BR), a unique biological material which has promising light sensitive and photoelectric properties needed for device application (e.g. holographic recording films, associative holographic memories, spatial light modulators, etc.). To fully realize the potential of devices based on BR one must produce mutant Brs at a scale suitable for rapid analysis and fabrication to screen these mutant Brs for important photochromic properties. Mutants proteins will be obtained from the gene coding for BR inserted into a bacterial expression system involving the natural host; this method allows the rapid and facile production of large quantities of mutant proteins derived by site-directed mutagenesis. The photoelectronic properties of these light sensitive proteins will be assessed by investigators with expertise in three different areas: genetics, photochemistry, and physics. A strong industrial collaboration is also part of this program.
